Category Archives: Daily Life

When The Bell Rings

So just what is it that moves us? How is that the bell is answered. Just what was it that got me from sitting, to standing, to walking? What got me to answer the bell? Or to do anything for that matter. And the simple answer is intention. When the bell rings my intention is to answer it. Bells are a big part of monastic practice. They signal that a new activity is about to start. So this activity needs to be wrapped up in order to move on to the next one. For all there is of course the internal bell calling to us to move on to the next thing. Which means putting down this thing. There is, hopefully, the intention to answer/respond to the call of conditions as they present. To the very best of ones ability.

Adrienne writes (in effect) about listening to the bell and what sometimes rings louder. That is, so called, distractions. Distractions in themselves are not a problem. Being awake to distractions, and remaining awake, indicates the intention to get out of the cozy bed of whatever and get on with answering the bell. So. Intention, coupled with direction (next thing), equals action.

….I have my well-practiced methods of avoidance and I see them for what they are. I am not sure that searching for the reasons for my reluctance or the source of my difficulty is particularly useful or relevant, however my awareness about what I do means that I want to change and do things differently.

From Distractions by Adrienne Hodges.

And my continuing intention is to continue to write here. Having this time to rest and reflect and not post so regularly has been good.

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Distractions

Posted by Adrienne Hodges
Following on from my last post the question I have had in my mind has been what stops me from doing what is good to do?

And lo and behold daily life brings me an answer. On Tuesday I facilitated a couple of workshops for parents. We talked about how, quite often, we can focus on housework and chores (in some to the point of being Obsessive/Compulsive)as a way of avoiding trying to resolve difficult relationship problems. One parent spoke about how she polishes the floor until it is spotless because she does not want to address the fact that her son is angry all of the time and won’t speak to her.

This level of honesty and willingness to look at the truth was both humbling and encouraging. I wondered what I do as avoidance techniques? Here are some of them: I watch too much TV, I agree to the requests/demands from my family far too readily and I decide too quickly that I am too busy, that I haven’t the time or that I really do need to search EBay for that next bargain fabric!

Sharing my practice with the readers of Jade Mountains is something that I want to give a regular commitment to but the doing of it has been a bit of a struggle. I have my well-practiced methods of avoidance and I see them for what they are. I am not sure that searching for the reasons for my reluctance or the source of my difficulty is particularly useful or relevant, however my awareness about what I do means that I want to change and do things differently.

And this is me……. getting on with it!

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Inner Shifts – Outcomes Emerge

As is quite often the case with Andrew, and other who study with me, our thinking and insights run in tandam. This has happened with this most recent post from Andrew. We both recognise a certain shift has taken place.

I’m finding my retreat/reflection time has moved me on in a way I am not quite able to articulate at this moment. When, and if, something practical comes as an outcome, I’ll let you know what it is.

I have recently found myself reflecting quite a lot on aspects of research into the brain which seem to show that we frequently make decisions in a relatively primitive part of our brain some time before our conscious reasoning part of the brain comes up with our explicit reasoned and rational account of the decision. It seems that somehow the decision is made before we are aware of having decided it. Many aspects of our spiritual training seem to follow this model too. Specifically, things often seem to change or shift in us some time before we have any real understanding of what is happening.

From Things Look Different – Something Has Changed by Andrew Taylor-Browne

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Things Look Different – Something Has Changed

I have recently found myself reflecting quite a lot on aspects of research into the brain which seem to show that we frequently make decisions in a relatively primitive part of our brain some time before our conscious reasoning part of the brain comes up with our explicit reasoned and rational account of the decision. It seems that somehow the decision is made before we are aware of having decided it. Many aspects of our spiritual training seem to follow this model too. Specifically, things often seem to change or shift in us some time before we have any real understanding of what is happening.

For the last two weeks of January and the first week of February, Julie and I went on holiday. This is not a particularly common event. It is certainly the case that this is a good time of year for us to take a holiday – there is generally less to do on the farm in the depth of winter. Having said this, leaving for any length of time is never easy. We have to arrange for a farm sitter who can come to look after everything, we need to ensure there is enough fuel, food for the animals, clear instructions and plans for all foreseeable contingencies. This year, in addition to everything else, we had an aged greyhound with severe heart failure to leave; and the weather has been the worst winter for at least 15 years. So, the emotional challenge of leaving the farm was astonishingly difficult.

And we did it, we went, and we had a wonderful time in Costa Rica; which was probably the most beautiful place I have ever visited. I have a particular affection for trees and woodland – and the Monteverde cloud forests were deeply and inexpressibly moving.

So now we are back and it is strange how different the farm looks – the familiar seems somehow strange. Our lives, or at least those parts of them that occupy most of our time, are presenting themselves to us almost as though they were someone else’s. We have not been away that long and yet things seem very different.

This has been reminding me a lot of the effect of going on retreat. After spending time at the monastery or a temple for a week or more, returning to ‘everyday life’ and family can be strange. It is almost like seeing familiar things afresh, as though for the first time – strange and yet completely familiar. The first few times this happened I found myself wanting, quite deeply, to hold on to what I had found while on retreat, almost in fear of losing it. Subsequently I came to realise that, although they may fade from consciousness, those things found on retreat are not lost. It isn’t that we can hold onto them even if we want to. Rather they effect a change; things are not the same after; a shift takes place – and sometimes we think we can notice what has changed, but usually not.

And so, this time at least, and against all expectation, it seems that a holiday on the other side of the ocean next to which we live has changed something; shifted things along. Things seem different even three weeks after being back. Everything on the farm is OK, even the greyhound is still hanging on somehow, and yet something has changed. And as yet it isn’t clear what it is that has changed, and that’s just fine.

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A Nest Of Schnauzers

Jim and Nancy have been on an animal rescue mission to the central valley, California. They now have Annie another schnauzer to keep Muji company. Of all the interesting road trips they have taken this one was the least dramatic (no deaths, or near deaths) and they came back with a bundle of fun too.

Annie.jpg
Annie, on the left, and Muji during a stop for fuel

One half-hour or so later and Muji and Annie are lying down, butt to butt. Another hour or so, Annie is laying her head on Muji’s leg without complaint. They sit up in unison when we stop for gas.

Finally, we are home. Everyone’s exhausted. A bit numb, we check in with the neighbor, feed the dogs, feed ourselves. Too tired to talk much, Nancy and I curl up on the bed with Muji and Annie. Just for awhile, of course. But it doesn’t take long to drift off in the nest of schnauzers while wondering how life will change.

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